The Things They Carried By Tim O'Brien - Character Baggage

The Things They Carried By Tim O'Brien - Character Baggage - Answer Key Page 3

All soldiers carry…

All PFCs (grunts) carry…

 P-38 can openers



 signal flares

an M-16 gas-operated assault rifle (7.5 lbs

 pocket knives

 spools of wire

unloaded)



 heat tabs

 razor blades

10-20 bullet magazines in cloth bandoliers (8.4

 wristwatches

lbs)

 chewing tobacco



 dog tags

M-16 maintenance gear consisting of rods, steel

 liberated joss sticks

brushes, swabs, tubes of LSA oil (1 lb)

 mosquito repellent

 statuettes of the smiling Buddha

 M-79 grenade launcher (5.9 lbs)

 chewing gum

 candles

 ammunition for grenade launcher (typical

 candy

 grease pencils

load = 25 rounds – 250 oz = 15.6 lbs)

 cigarettes

 The Stars and Stripes

 water

15-20 lbs

 salt tablets

 fingernail clippers

 toilet paper

 packets of Kool-Aid

 Psy Ops leaflets

 some carry a claymore anti-personnel mine

 lighters

 bush hats

(3.5 lbs)

 matches

 bolos

 fragmentation grenades (14 oz. each)

 sewing kits

 hot chow in green marmite cans (2x per

 an M-18 smoke grenade (24 oz.)

 Military Payment Certificates

week)

 some carry CS or tear gas grenades

 large canvas bags filled with ice beer and

 C rations

 some carry white phosphorus grenades

 2-3 canteens of water

soda pop (2x per week)

 mosquito netting

 plastic water containers, 2 gallon capacity

 steel helmets with liner and camouflage

 machetes

(16.7 lbs)

cover (5 lbs)

 canvas tarps

 1 PRC-77 scrambler radio (30 lbs)

 fatigue jackets and trousers

 extra bug juice

 chess sets

 some carry underwear

 28-pound mine detector

 basketballs

 jungle boots (2.1 lbs)

 1-pound blocks of pentrite high explosives

 English-Vietnamese dictionaries

 steel-centered, nylon-covered flak jacket

(4 blocks per soldier = 68 pounds total)

 insignia of rank

(6.7 lbs)

 wiring

 Bronze Stars

 one large compress bandage stored in the

 detonators

 Purple Hearts

helmet band for easy access

 battery-powered clackers

 green plastic poncho (2 lbs)

 plastic cards imprinted with the Code of

 flashlight

Conduct

 USO stationery

 pencils

30.8-35.8 lbs total

 pens

(using provided measurements only)

159 lbs total

 Sterno

(using provided measurements only)

 safety pins

 trip flares

The Things They Carried By Tim O'Brien - Character Baggage - Answer Key Page 3

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